Summation-meter.



No. 635,880. Patented Oct. 3|, |899. E. THOMSON.

SUHMATION METER.

(Applimion med Jun. so, 189e.)

(No Model.)

.- ilglglllnlllll VTJEEEES s i Rl by NITED STATES PATENT einen.

ELIHU THOMSON, OF SVVAMPSCOTT, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO T IIE GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY, OE NEW YORK.

SUMMATlON-METER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 635,880, dated. october s1, ieee. Application filed June ZO, 1898. Serial No. 683,911. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Beit known that I, ELIHU THOMSON, a citizen4 of the United States, residing at Swampscott, in the county of Essex and State of -Massachi1setts,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Summation-Meters, (Case No. 779,) of which the following is a speciiication.

My present invention relates to measuringinstruments, and although not conned in this respect to any particular device it is of most general application in connection with electric or other meters. It will be readily perceived that it mightbe applied to any number of electric meters or to uses in connection with measuring devices of other classes, such as gas-meters, the rotation of dilferent shafts, the successive impulses of a number of different machines, or, in general, the integration of a number of different commensurable movements. It might also be applied by arbitrary proportioning to the measurement of totals in dierent units, if for any reason this should be desirable, as would sometimes occur in those stations operating mixed systems of gas and electric lighting, for instance,

where the total output of current and cubic feet of gas might be reduced to a pecuniary basis and recorded in dollars and cents, if desired.

The utility of my invention is manifest. It may be applied to the indication and registration of the total output of a station to great advantage. If the device be located in the engineers or superintendents office, it need only be connected to the switchboard by small wires, while the running of the main meter leads so far may be prohibited both on account of first cost and of waste of energy. As applied to devices other than electric meters the same advantage is apparent, the devices being readily operated by a battery of moderate size, as will presently be explained, rendering it unnecessary to have the stationmeters in the office-rooms or to leave the ofiice to examine them.

My invention relates to that class of devices in which a number of recording devices of any kind or of separately-moving mechanisms are so connected to a summation dial or meter recording the sum of the movements that each meter device will cause a record to be made upon the dial proportioned to its own register. It is important that in such a device the various elements should be so far independent of each other that all movements are registered, whether they occur simultaneously or at different times. To accomplish this, I have arranged in operative relation with each of the meters (taking the word as typical of any device to which the invention may be applied) a motor mechanism moving the shaft of a register by a desired space at each impulse communicated to it by the meter with which it is connected. Each of these motor devices is capable of moving the shaft independently of the movement of the others; but they are so connecte( in tandem, as I have preferred to call it, that this motion is transmitted from any one of the motor devices through all of the others intervening between it and the register. The effect of this arrangement is to actuate the register by the movement of any one of the meter devices, no matter whether the others are moving or stationary, thus independently recording the different impulses communicated to the shaft by the motor devices.

Briefly described, the device in its preferred form contains a motor device, such as an electromagnet, operated at intervals by one of the meters, the sum of whose readings is to be given on the summation-dial. This motor device acts upon each impulse to move a pawl and turn a ratchet-wheel through a deiinite distance, such as the space of one tooth. This ratchet-wheel, however, carries another motor device or electromagnet actuated by the impulses of a second meter, and this acts in turn upon a ratchet-wheel moved by a pawl and moves what may be called the second ratchet in a similar manner. Upon this ratchet-wheel is mounted a third magnet or motor device which actuates a third ratchetwheel by its pawl, and so on to any number. These wheels are mounted in the same axial line-. e., around thesame shaft-and it will be seen that if the three magnets act at once the motion of the last ratchet is three times as great as with any single impulse.

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If two act at once, the motion is twice as great as if a single impulse only were given by one of the magnets. The last moving element of the series is of course made to move a register or indicator showing the sum of all the impulses. This registry may be called the suitable base for the instrument, having' side posts B' B', which support the registering apparatus D. The register is connected with the shaft X by a worin-gear S S'. (Shown in detail in Fig. 3.) Upon the base B is an electromagnet M'. A ratchet-wheel R' carries a similar electromagnet M2. A second ratchet R2 carries a third magnet M2, and a third ratchet R2 is affixed to the shaft of the counter or register D. rlhe ratchet-Wheels R' R2 are sleeved upon andrevolveindependently of the shaft. The general form and arrangement of the electromagnet and its cooperating parts will be understood best from Fig. l. It will be seen that the magnet Ms acts, when energized, to draw down its armature m against the spring m'. This armature is attached to the pawl P, of ordinary construction, which coperates with the ratchet R2. (Not shown in this figure, but seen in Fig. 2.) Other pawls P' P2 serve to similarly rotate the other ratchets. The effeet of the action just described is to advance the wheel R2 (and with it the shaft) by one tooth at each impulse of current sent through the magnet M2. The magnet M' (referring again to Fig. 2) when energized rotates the wheel R', as just described with reference to Wheel The magnet M2, carried on the wheel R' and rotating with it, affects by its pawl the Wheel R2, while the magnet M2, which is carried on the wheel R2, moves the wheel R8. The pawls are'of course provided with stops, as at N, Fig. l, by which their backward movements are limited. It will be seen that the three magnets and their pawls, with the ratehets, constitute motor devices connected in tandem, so that by the movement of the magnet M', for instance, the ratchet R' is moved, carrying with it the magnet M2. The latter moves the ratchet R2, carrying With it the magnet M2, and this last moves the ratchet R2. rihe motions of the ratchets R' R2 do not affect the shaft X directly, but only rotate the ratchet R3, the latter being secured to the shaft by the setscrew s. The magnet M' is connected directly with the main.

Referring to Fig. 4, it will be seen that each meter l 3 operates a device O' O2 O2, each of which devices closes, respectively, the circuit of one of the magnets M' M2 M2. For example, when the contact-strip o', carried by the disk O', is in a vertical position current iioWs from the battery B2 through the strip o' to the coils of the magnet M', to the shaft X, and thence back to B2 through the connection C2; but since the magnets M2 Ms rotate about the shaft X current is carried to them, respectively, through the rings C C2 and brushes c' c2. It will be obvious that the battery B2 may be replaced by any suitable source of current-as, for example, by a shunt from the main, as shown in dotted lines. I have shown a resistance X' to limit the current. Vhen the switch O', for instance, is closed by the revolution of the meter l, an impulse of current will be sent through the magnet M' from the battery, and this will cause the magnet to attract its armature, pull over its pawl, and rotate the ratchet R', this motion being' transmitted to the ratchet R3 and thence to the shaft. A similar action will occur when either of the other switches is momentarily closed.

It is manifest that the general arrangement outlinedis susceptible of many embodiments, the one which I have shown being only one of a number which may be adopted.

In Figs. 5, (i, and 7 I show a modified form which may be employed. The circuits of this modification are not specifically illustrated, because they are substantially the same as those shown in Fig. 4.-. In connection with this device I show a grounded circuit at V, which would involve grounding one end of the battery; but otherwise the circuits would be the same, the particular circuit connections forming no essential part of the invention. In this arrangement I employ a horizontal shaft instead of a vertical one, and electromagnets M' M2, tbc., consisting of straight bars With single coils-such, for instance, as shown in Fig. 5. The armatures A' A2, dsc., are bent bars, which rotate when attracted in the direction of the arrow, Fig. 5, so as to close the magnetic circuit of the magnets M', the. In so doing they rotate the ratchet R' R2. Suitable pawls connect the armatures with the ratchets, and stops SIl prevent the armatures from getting so far out of line as to be out of the inductive influence ofthe magnet. Returning-springs (in the case illustrated ordinary helical springs) are also employed. The general arrangement of this mechanism is the same as that already particularly described with reference to Figs. l and 2. The armature A', Fig. G, rotates the ratchet R', and this in turn rotates the magnet M2 and its armature A2, the latter rotating the ratchet R2, which rotates the magnet M3 and armature A2, to the latter of which is connected the ratchet R2, fast upon the shaft X, geared to the Worm S.

In Fig. 7 I show a view of the magnet M2 with its armature removed, looking in the opposite direction from Fig. 5. The rotation is as shown by the arrow, the armature A' be- IOO IOS

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ing provided with a stop S4, as shown in Fig. 5. The operation of this part of the device will be apparent without further description.

It will thus be seen that I provide a number of independent registers, each of which acts upon one of a train of wheels capable of relative movement, so that each meter may actuate the summation-meter irrespective of its companion meters, whether operating simultaneously or dissimultaneously with them.

Vhat I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is-

1. The combination of a number of recording devices independently effecting desired registrations, a separate motor device controlled by each register, a summation-register for all the motors, and gearing between the motors and the register such that each motor actuates the summation-register to record the movement of its own controlling device independently of the other motors.

2. The combination of a number of electric meters, an electric-motor device in circuit with each meter and with a source of power, a summation -register, gearing connecting each motor to the summation-registerin such manner that the movement of each motor is recorded independently of any other, and means actuated by the meters for sending current through their respective motors.

3. rIhe combination of electric meters, an electromagnet in circuit with each meter, switches periodically actuated by each meter to send current through the electromaguets, a summation-register, and a tandem7 connection between the register and the electromagnets.

4. The combination of a number of meters, each having a motor actuated by and in proportion to its registering movement, a summation-register, and mechanical connections between the motor and the register, such that each motor actuates the register to record its own movement unaffected by the movement of the other motors.

5. The combination of a number of meters, a corresponding number of motors, a summation-register actuated by the motors, interconnections between the motors and means for proportioning the range of movement of the summation-register to the sum of the meter registrations.

6. The combination of a number of meters, a motor connected to each meter and actuated proportionately to its registration, the several meters being interconnected, and a summation-register recording the movements of all the motors whether acting simultaneously or dissimnltaneously.

7. The combination of a number of mechanisms, such as rotating shafts or the like, the sum of the movements of which is to be noted upon a single record, such as a register, counter, or similar device, with motors controlled, respectively, by the different mechanisms, each recording its own movement upon the register, and interconnections between the motors to prevent the interference of their several registrations, whether operating simultaneously or dissimultaneously.

8. rlhe combination of a register, a shaft actu ating it, a ratchet device revolving loosely -on the shaft, another ratchet device keyed to the shaft, a fixed electromagnet operating the irst ratchet, and an eleotromagnet carried by the iirst ratchet and operating the second; whereby the register is moved in accordance with the number of impulses of the magnets, whether or not the impulses occur synchronously.

9. A summation-meter comprising a train of wheels each independently operated by a particular meter of a Series to be integrated, said train acting upon the summation-register, and connections between the several wheels to permit each to be impelled irrespective of the others, thereby rendering their action summative, whether impelled simultaneously or dissimultaneously.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 16th day of June, 1898.

ELIIIU THOMSON. 

